The Changing World Of Latin Jazz

Edm - When a lot of people think about Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party one thinks of, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is actually one aspect of the style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people around the oasis for years with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a place in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing quantity of artists have abandoned the party area for different cultural and artistic influences. These days, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from a broader spectrum with the Caribbean and South America, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Trumpet - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a large part within the increase of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles such as the festejo and landó to the style as well a far more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has developed a unique approach with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it's got only been recently that artists have put a distinct emphasis upon the concept of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez provides his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs as a foundation for jazz.

Argentina happens to be known for it's passionate tango, and several musicians have discovered this music is really a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has built a definite language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler has continued the work of influential composer Astor Piazzolla with a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often take into account the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim once they look at the blend of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, but the style has grown into something a lot more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has produced upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and created a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a brand new York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Grammy awards - The oasis is obviously still part of Latin Jazz - just hear the background music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo for a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The style has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting an even more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and providing listeners an even more diverse experience.